Daily news summaries

Catch up with RBA's daily birdnews summaries. Browse ten days at a time, or choose a date to read summaries from that day backwards.

Daily summaries are available from 13 April 2006. For earlier weekly reviews, visit our articles.

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Saturday 26th November 2011  
  Highlight of the day was the Desert Wheatear in Shropshire. Found yesterday on Titterstone Clee Hill, but reported as a possible Pied Wheatear, the identification was quickly sorted out  early morning and the bird remained present all day. A Glossy Ibis at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk was the only other new rarity.

The Greater Yellowlegs remained in Northumberland, as did the Bufflehead in Cornwall, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, two Long-billed Dowitchers and Spotted Sandpiper in Somerset, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Little Bunting in Sussex, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Desert Wheatear in Yorkshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin and Red-breasted Goose in Devon.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 25th November 2011  
  Today was the second day in a row that no new rarities were reported, and was significantly quieter than the last few weeks. Rarity highlights included the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper for its 8th day in Somerset, at Chew Valley Lake, along with the two Long-billed Dowitchers and Spotted Sandpiper, Bufflehead at Helston, Cornwall and Least Sandpiper at Black Rock Strand, County Kerry

Other rarities seen were Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Wyke Regis, Dorset, Desert Wheatear at Bempton Cliffs RSPB, Yorkshire, Dusky Warbler on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, single Glossy Ibises in Dorset and Kent and single Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Dorset.

Scarcities included a Night Heron in County Kerry, Hoopoe in County Louth, Rose-coloured Starlings in Dorset and Essex, American Wigeon in Devon and Yorkshire, Ring-necked Ducks in Cornwall and Somerset, Green-winged Teals in Northumberland and Dumfries and Galloway, Rough-legged Buzzards in Norfolk (2+), Cambridgeshire and Sussex and Yellow-browed Warblers in Norfolk and the Isles of Scilly (3). Also seven Grey Phalaropes, ten Great Grey Shrikes, 14 Taiga Bean Geese and at least 153 Tundra Bean Geese.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 24th November 2011  
  Rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Veery in Highland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers together in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs and two Ross's Geese in Northumberland, Wilson's Snipe and two Dusky Warblers on the Isles of Scilly, Bufflehead in Cornwall, American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland, Penduline Tit and Glossy Ibis in Kent, Spotted Sandpiper in Devon and the Azorean Yellow-legged Gull, now in the West Midlands.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starlings in Anglesey and Dorset, Red-breasted Flycatcher on the Isles of Scilly, American Wigeons in Leicestershire and West Yorkshire, and Ring-necked Ducks in both Cornwall and Somerset. A total of 104 Tundra Bean Geese were reported across nine counties between the Shetland Isles and Essex, including 91 in Lincolnshire.

Significant late news concerns two new Desert Wheatears: a female on 22nd November in County Waterford at Brownstown Head, and a male on 19th November at Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 23rd November 2011  
  Two new Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers were discovered today, one at Holme NOA (Norfolk) and another at Wyke Regis (Dorset).

Lingering rarities included Veery in Highland, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers in Somerset, Glossy Ibises in Dorset and Kent, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Suffolk, Wilson's Snipe and two Dusky Warblers on Isles of Scilly, Bufflehead in Cornwall and Spotted Sandpipers in Devon, Somerset and Dorset.

In Ireland the Least Sandpiper (Co Kerry), American Buff-bellied Pipit (Co Waterford) and Blue-winged Teal (Co Dublin) all lingered.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 22nd November 2011  
  The only new rarity today was another American Buff-bellied Pipit, this time at Ballinclamper, County Waterford, where it represented the second for both site and county.

Lingering rarity highlights seen today included the Veery on Muck, Highland, Greater Yellowlegs at Cresswell, Northumberland, Bufflehead at Helston, Cornwall, Northern Waterthrush and Wilson's Snipe at Lower Moors, Isles of Scilly, Least Sandpiper in County Kerry and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Chew Valley lake, Somerset.

Other rarities included Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Suffolk, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland, two Dusky Warblers in Cornwall, single Desert Wheatears in Devon and Cornwall, single Red-breasted Geese in Devon and Essex, two Long-billed Dowitchers in Somerset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Anglesey, single Spotted Sandpipers in Somerset, Devon and Dorset and single Glossy Ibises in Kent and Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 21st November 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Least Sandpiper at Black Rock Strand, County Kerry. Elsewhere, a Penduline Tit was found in Lancashire at Leighton Moss, a Blue-winged Teal was new in County Wexford at Tacumshin, and in Cornwall a Desert Wheatear was found at Porthgwarra, as was a new Dusky Warbler on The Lizard.

The Blackpoll Warbler showed again in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, with other lingering rarities comprising the Veery still in Highland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers together in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs, Eastern Black Redstart and two Ross's Geese in Northumberland, Northern Waterthrush, Wilson's Snipe and two Dusky Warblers on the Isles of Scilly, Bufflehead and another Dusky Warbler in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier in County Cork, Desert Wheatears in both Devon and County Dublin, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in both Norfolk and Suffolk, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland, Spotted Sandpiper in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs on Anglesey, Red-breasted Geese in both Devon and Essex, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin, Ross's Goose in Norfolk, and Glossy Ibises in both Dorset and Kent.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 20th November 2011  
  New discoveries today included Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Norfolk at Great Yarmouth, and in Suffolk at Lowestoft (where it joined the lingering individual briefly), Desert Wheatear in County Dublin at North Bull Island, Dusky Warbler in Cornwall at Porthgwarra, a Gyr Falcon in Highland at Findhorn Valley, American Golden Plover in Aberdeenshire on the Ythan Estuary and two Penduline Tits together at Grove Ferry, Kent.

Lingering rarities comprised the Veery in Highland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers together in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs, Eastern Black Redstart, Lesser Scaup and two Ross's Geese in Northumberland, Northern Waterthrush, Wilson's Snipe and two Dusky Warblers on the Isles of Scilly, Brown Shrike in Argyll, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier in County Cork, Desert Wheatear in Devon, two Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers on the Shetland Isles, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland, Spotted Sandpipers in both Devon and Dorset, Red-breasted Geese in both Devon and Essex, Lesser Yellowlegs on Anglesey, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin, Ferruginous Ducks in both County Armagh and Berkshire, and Glossy Ibises in Anglesey, Dorset, Essex and Kent.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 19th November 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of Kent's first Blackpoll Warbler in Tunbridge Wells. Found mid afternoon, it showed on and off for an hour, and becomes the sixth American passerine species seen in the county.

Other new discoveries included single Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Suffolk and Shetland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Essex, Desert Wheatear in County Dublin, single Little Buntings in Sussex and Dorset and another Dusky Warbler in the Isles of Scilly.

The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Somerset relocated to Chew Valley Lake, with other lingering rarity highlights including Greater Yellowlegs and Eastern Black Redstart in Northumberland, Veery in Highland, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Wilson's Snipe in the Isles of Scilly, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, Pallid Harrier in County Cork, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Olive-backed Pipit and three Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Shetland and Desert Wheatear in Devon.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 18th November 2011  
  The first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper for Somerset was discovered today at Blagdon Lake. It is only the fifth juvenile to be seen in Britain, and is the first ever to be found in November. A male Desert Wheatear was seen in Devon, where it spent the afternoon at Man Sands, whilst, nearby, a Spotted Sandpiper was identified at Lyme Regis, Dorset. Further east, a White-rumped Sandpiper was at West Canvey Marsh RSPB, Essex, a Glossy Ibis was at Dungeness, Kent and a Red-rumped Swallow was at Winterton, Norfolk.

Lingering rarity highlights included the Veery in Highland, Eastern Black Redstart and Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Suffolk and Shetland, Wilson's Snipe and two Dusky Warblers on the Isles of Scilly (with another of the latter in Yorkshire), Pallid Harrier in County Cork, Red-breasted Geese in Essex and Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs and Glossy Ibis in Anglesey (with another of the latter in Essex) and two Long-billed Dowitchers and a Spotted Sandpiper in Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 17th November 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Veery in Highland on Muck, where it remained throughout the day. Elsewhere, lingering rarities included the Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Eastern Black Redstarts in both Kent and Northumberland, Bufflehead in County Cork, Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly, Pallid Harrier in County Cork, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Aberdeenshire, Shetland Isles and Suffolk, Dusky Warbler in Norfolk, Red-breasted Goose in both Devon and Essex, Spotted Sandpipers in both Devon and Somerset, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Staffordshire, Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire, two Ross's Geese together in Northumberland, and Glossy Ibis in both Dorset and Kent.

The influx of Tundra Bean Geese continues with 157 logged today across nineteen counties from the Shetland Isles, to Anglesey, Somerset and Essex.
-  Chris Batty, RBA